IT'S hard to think of any reason why someone would miss an opportunity to referee sport at international level but Dubbo's Mick Medlin said there's one thing that could stop him officiating tomorrow's Trans-Tasman test series between Australia and New Zealand at the Glen Willow Sporting Complex at Mudgee.
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"My wife is due to give birth any time between now and May 1 so it could be a quick trip back from Mudgee," he laughed.
But at this stage Medlin is all set to officiate his fifth Trans-Tasman series this week and the Dubbo Fire Service station captain admitted it will be the last time he officiates the clash.
"I've got a young family now and I'm 42 this year so it's time to step away from the arena and leave it to some of the younger guys so they can develop," he said.
"It's an opportunity to finish close to home but I'll keep refereeing locally and we've got the World Cup in Coffs Harbour next year but this is my last Trans-Tasman series."
Medlin admitted it was always an honour to referee at the highest level and the man who has taken part in two World Cups in South Africa and New Zealand and countless national championships said he never took it for granted.
"Touch is a competitive sport and like any sport it's tough to get these jobs and you're under scrutiny so it's really good to be selected for a fifth time and there was no Trans-Tasman matches between 2002 and 2009 so to be able to do five around that feels good," he said.
Medlin fully expects the Australian sides to bounce back after losing the series 2-1 in New Zealand last year and he added he hoped to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible but with national pride on the line he admitted there was every chance there would be some big moments for him to deal with.
"You want to be part of it but you don't want to be the main part so it's about having to be fit and understand what's happening but also a bigger arena means you have to be more willing to make those tough decisions and I think that's what separates the good referees from the guys who can make a call under pressure and not crumble," he said.
After moving to Dubbo in 2011 Medlin has become strongly involved with local touch football and with more time at home in future he is keen to develop more local referees and help them reach the heights he has while at the same time enjoying the competition here.
"It's definitely getting stronger," he said of the sport in Dubbo.
"There are people constantly involved and the competitions here is just getting better and better. In other big places, like Wagga, numbers can drop over winter when football and netball starts but here there's a strong core still through the winter."